Drinking vessel



Jan. 5, 1960 L.,J. VON GUNTEN 2,919,594

- DRINKING VESSEL Filed Nov. 27, 1957 INVENTOR. LEO 3'. VON GUNTEN DRINKING VESSEL Leo J. Von Gunten, Akron, Ohio Application November 27, 1957, Serial No. 699,292

2 Claims. (Cl. 128-222) This invention relates to a drinking vessel which has on its inner surface an openwork support for a pill which is swallowed with water or other liquid which is drunk from the vessel. The pill may be a sugar pill or a capsule or any other form of pill. It is found that if it is administered with water from a drinking vessel, as here described, it can be taken practically without feeling it, even though it be quite large.

The drinking vessel may be a tumbler or a goblet or a cup or any other suchvessel. On the inner surface near the upper edge is an openwork support for one or more pills. By an openwork support, I mean a support with openings through it or with indentations extending inwardly from the edge of it or with other open spaces within its periphery, so that when the vessel is tipped for drinking the liquid will flow through the support and wash the pill or pills from the support into the drinkers mouth. A pill, even a large pill, is easily swallowed when administered in this way.

The invention will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tumbler with parallel ribs protruding from its inner surface, at one side, to support a pill;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a different type of tumbler and support; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of part of the tumbler shown in Fig. 4. p

The tumbler 1 shown in Figs. 1-3 may be made of glass or plastic, etc. It is molded and the support is made of ribs 3 which are molded integrally with the tumbler and protrude inwardly from the wall. The tops 4 of the ribs are dished somewhat to form a support for Q United States Patent 0 one or more pills. The inner edge 5 of the top of the support does not extend inwardly any farther than inner edge 6 of the bottom of the ribs. This permits the molded vessel to be readily separated from the core which molds its inner surface and the ribs.

The drawings show four ribs to support the pill. Any number of ribs may be used. The support is not solid because the liquid must wash through the support. Whenv the tumbler is tipped for drinking the liquid washes along between the ribs and the pill is washed away from the support into the drinkers mouth, as soon as the liquid contacts it.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a paper cup 10 the wall of which is rolled outwardly at the lip 11 to make it more rigid so that it holds its shape. The bottom of the wall is turned up inwardly and holds the bottom. The support 12 is made of paper with a surrounding flange 13 which is cemented or otherwise attached tothe wall of the cup. The openings 14 which extend away from the wall of the cup permit the liquid to wash through the support when the cup is tipped for drinking, and any pill on the support is washed into the drinkers mouth. With so much water washing into ones mouth, a pill of any size is readily swallowed.

The drinking vessel may be of any desired shape and the support may be of any desired shape except that it must have sufiicient open area to permit liquid to wash the pill away from the support when the vessel is tipped for drinking. The vessel may be of glass, porcelain or plastic. The vessel may be a folded paper cup in which case the support can be located either at the fold or away from the fold.

The invention is defined in the attached claims.

What I claim is:

1. A molded drinking vessel having integral therewith on its interior and near the top, an openwork support 7 for a pill, every lower portion of the support extending outwardly at least as far as every portion of the support above it, whereby the core which forms the interior of the vessel and the support is strippable therefrom in one piece.

2. A molded drinking vessel having on its interior and close to one another a plurality of ribs extending from near'the bottom of the vessel to near the top, their tops forming a support for a pill.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 442,698 Yates Dec. 16, 1890 

